High prolactin concentration during lactation period induced disorders of maternal behavioral in offspring

• Published in: Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018-02, Vol.88, p.129-135
• Main Authors: Mitani, Shuhei, Amano, Izuki, Takatsuru, Yusuke
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Newborn; Behavior, Animal; Corticosterone - blood; Early-life stress; Female; Lactation - metabolism; Lactation - physiology; Male; Maternal behavior; Maternal Behavior - physiology; Maternal Deprivation; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mothers; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - physiopathology; Prolactin; Prolactin - metabolism; Prolactin - physiology; Somatosensory function; Stress, Psychological - physiopathology
• ISSN: 0306-4530; 1873-3360
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.12.006

•The disorder of maternal behavior was detected in the offspring of early-life-stressed mothers.•The stressed mothers showed high concentrations of serum prolactin (PRL) during pregnancy and lactation.•The maternal concentration of PRL significantly correlated with the concentration of corticosterone in offspring.•These findings indicate that PRL play an important role in the induction of the transgenerational effect of early-life stress.•The maternal concentration of PRL may be a good biomarker for predicting the psychoneurological development of offspring. Early-life stress during the perinatal period induces several neuropsychological disorders in adulthood. In animal studies, early-life stress during the perinatal period induces not only behavioral disorders but also other neurofunctional disorders, such as somatosensory functional disorder in adulthood. Furthermore, the offspring of an early-life-stressed parent also show disturbance of brain function in humans. Behavioral and neurological alterations in the offspring of a stressed parent have also been shown in animal studies. However, the mechanisms underlying such behavioral/neurological alterations are not yet fully understood. In this study, we found a disorder of maternal behavior in the offspring of early-life-stressed mothers. The stressed mothers showed high concentrations of serum prolactin (PRL) during pregnancy and lactation. The concentration on the day of weaning the offspring significantly correlated with the changes in the concentration of corticosterone and the neurological function of offspring. These findings indicate that PRL may be involved in the induction of transgenerational effects of early-life stress on the brain function of offspring. In addition, maternal PRL can be a good biomarker for predicting the potential risk of neurofunctional alterations in the offspring.